Contract awarded for Thornton & Denholme Medical Practice

A ten-year contract to provide medical services at Thornton and Denholme Medical Practice has been awarded to a group of Shipley-based doctors.

Westcliffe Care UK Ltd – which already provides services at Westcliffe Medical Centre in Westcliffe Road, Shipley – has been awarded the contract from 1 April 2013. The doctors have been providing services at Thornton and Denholme Medical Practice on a temporary basis since 1 April 2012.

Over the last year, NHS Airedale, Bradford and Leeds (the PCT) has been working with local patients to develop a service specification for the practice which reflected their needs and aspirations. Applications were then invited to provide NHS services at the practice from a range of bidders, including private companies, social enterprise, the voluntary sector and traditional NHS providers.

The contract – known as a “health promoting GP practice” – has been successfully developed and used in other parts of the Bradford district. Bidders were asked to demonstrate how they would take a proactive approach to identifying patients at risk of chronic illness and those who need support to change their lifestyle and manage their long-term conditions more effectively.

“We are looking forward to continuing to work with patients in Thornton and Denholme”, said Dr Ruth Stockwell, lead clinician from Westcliffe Care UK Ltd. “Improving the quality of patient care and focusing on health promotion will be our key priorities for the future. We have a real opportunity to develop new and responsive services to benefit people of all ages.

“Our focus will not only be on curing people who are ill, or helping them to manage their long-term condition, but also on helping patients to stay healthy and to look after their own health. We will be taking a proactive approach, getting out into the community to help people understand and better manage their own health.”

“Patients’ views have significantly helped to shape the contract for this practice and local people from Thornton and Denholme were involved in evaluating the tenders submitted by bidders.

“We have built into the contract a number of ways in which patients can be involved in shaping services to ensure that it continues to be a responsive and proactive practice which values the views of local people. A patient participation group will meet regularly in both Thornton and Denholme villages, and I would encourage patients to get involved with the practice and become part of its future.”

Discussions are underway with the landlords about the ongoing use of the two privately-owned surgeries in Craven Avenue, Thornton and Ann Street, Denholme. In the meantime, normal services will continue to be delivered from these surgeries.